Avengers Assemble: Fire and Ice
by Megan Writes Things
Summary: All she causes is destruction. Now she might just be given a purpose, putting her powers to good use. And she's starting to make him human, something he fears more than anything. When you play with fire, you're bound to get burned. Post Movie. Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Her feet dragged her all the way into the bathroom. The pieces of the mirror were still sitting in the sink from moments before when she'd shattered it. The smell of burnt wood and gas still lingered in the room, which made her rest her face in her hands. She winced, pulling back quickly once she realized that the purple bruise on her face was still there, even after three days of constant ice and resting. Delia turned, looking at her reflection in one of the shards that remained in the sink. Her fingers ran up from her split lip, which was still a bit bloody, towards her cheek bone, where the black and blue bruise was imbedded in her skin.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. After everything she'd done for that complete asshole, this is how he repaid her? With threats and slaps on the side of the face? Even a baseball bat to the head a few days earlier… If only he knew what she was capable of, how easily she could burn down his house with little to no evidence of it being anything but an accident. She shook her head and pulled the rubber band that was wrapped tightly around her wrist, snapping it onto her skin. She'd done this sort of 'training' ever since she received her powers, knowing that if she continued to think darkly like this that it could end badly.

This time, the wincing at the rubber didn't wake her from the morbid thing that was growing inside of her mind. She was already trembling with anger as she snapped her fingers together, a small flame appearing right in between her thumb and index finger. Delia stared at the delicate, bright flickering light for a moment. It was so tiny, yet it could cause an abundance worth of damage…

The tears had already begun to prick her eyes as she pulled her arm back, the feeling of the flame growing bigger in her hands satisfying. A crash was heard and her eyes were drawn up towards were the ball of fire had landed. She knew the fire would spread quickly enough so that a few people would inhale the smoke, but slow enough so that everyone, including herself could get out in time. Turning from the bathroom, the bottom of her feet being pricked with small pieces of glass, she grabbed her thick, winter jacket and the picture of her mother from the counter, the only things that truly mattered to her in this hellhole.

The smoke was already pouring out of the building once the paramedics, police, and fire trucks had arrived. Delia was standing on the other side of the street in the crowd, looking up at the scene that was unfolding. As she watched her neighbor, a single mother with a daughter named Jenna, run over to her, coughing and covered in smoke and ash, Delia's lips parted. Her bottom lip began to quiver as she shook her head, the tears beginning to prick roughly at her eyes. No… she wasn't a monster. This wasn't supposed to be happening. No…

Her gaze had been averted up from the ground towards a policeman, who was now walking towards the crowd. She felt the sudden urge to run, but knew if she did, she would seem completely guilty. Delia's feet stayed planted on the ground as the man held up his arms for the crowd to quiet and stay calm.

"Now, we've just been told by a few firemen that this was no accident. The fire began in someone's apartment. At this point, we're unsure if it was a kitchen fire or something like that. If any of you think you might have left the stove on or a cigarette partially lit, please come and talk to us whenever you would like."

Her feet continued to stay planted on the floor as the cop looked directly into her eyes. He parted his lips to say something before he was quickly called back over towards a group of fellow officers.

Someone pulled on Delia's jacket, causing her to look over her shoulder, then under. She spotted Jenna and began to smile, bending down next to her.

"What's up kiddo?" She mumbled, wiping a spot of dirty off her face before ruffling the girl's hair.

The little girl looked up at Delia and sighed. "I left my rabbit in there, Del."

Delia blinked her already wide eyes and swallowed harshly. She turned back over her shoulder, looking at the building, which was still in flames. As a few of the officers were distracted with a man dressed in black and an eye patch over his left eye, Del quickly slipped under the yellow tape that had been put there for the resident's safety.

She began to casually walk over towards the front door, until a fireman called over to her. "Ma'am! You can't go in there! It's not safe!"

He ran over to her, trying to grab her arm. All eyes were on her now, causing her cheeks to turn a deep shade of red. As she reached the front door, she pulled down a blanket of flames with her hand, making sure that the fireman or anyone else couldn't follow her.

She heard the panicked screams of fear coming from the streets as she ran up the stairs towards the third floor. She pushed the flames out of her way using her fingers, the heat of the fire being extinguished once the tips of her fingers brushed against them slightly. Kicking the door to Jenna's apartment open, Delia quickly ran inside and towards the little girl's room, remembering where it was from the many times that she'd babysat before. A sigh of relief escaped her when she saw the small stuffed rabbit laying on Jenna's bed, still untouched by the ash or fire.

Once the rabbit was safely tucked under Delia's arm, she turned to leave. Suddenly, the fourth floor came crashing in. When the smoke had cleared, Del was on the floor, her bed from upstairs right next to her. She shrugged, grabbing her phone which she'd forgotten in the panic. Standing up, she placed her hand on the bed, extinguishing the flames that had engulfed the duvet covers and mattress. She smirked, knowing that the flames she had caused were under her own control.

She made her way down the stairs slowly, putting out any fire that she spotted on her way out. No need to completely destroy the place. Placing her hand on the doorway, the flames disappeared and she walked down the front steps. With not even a scratch, mark, or dirt spot on her, everyone stood speechless, until Jenna pushed her way through the taller crowd. Her arms were stretched out as she grabbed her stuffed rabbit, then began to hug Del.

"Thanks, Del." Jenna quickly kissed the woman's cheek and ran back to her mother.

Delia was left with a smile on her face as she brushed off the ash from the toy. It was eerily silent as the neighbors, policemen, and paramedics stared at her, completely in shock that the girl had come out of a building, engulfed in flames, completely untouched and unharmed.

Suddenly, the man in black emerged from the crowd and everybody went back to their normal duties. The man was smiling, wrapped completely in black, his skin darkly colored. Del quickly took a step back once he approached her.

"Delia Nichols." He didn't ask if it was her name. It seemed as if he already knew.

Taking a few steps to her right, then forward she murmured, "What do you want?"

Delia quickly grabbed her bag from where she'd dropped it, then turned back to face the man.

He put out his hand firmly. "Nick Fury. Director of SHIELD."

Looking at his hand, Delia blinked, her face cold and uninterested. "Look, if that's some rehab place that my brother suggested I be in, then I don't wanna hear it." She waved her hand in the air, turning back towards the street.

"I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger's Initiative, Ms. Nichols."

Acting as if it was nothing special (because she didn't recognize the organization), she continued to walk. "The what?" She laughed out, pulling out her phone to check the time.

Nick tugged at her arm, pulling her back to face him. He didn't seem like he was playing around and that actually scared her. She snapped her fingers quietly, making a small, defense flame appear, just in case. "Ms. Nichols, I'm quite aware of your supernatural powers."

He pointed towards her fingers, noticing the small fire that had suddenly appeared. "We'd like you, along with a few other people… like you, to join the Avenger's Initiative."

Del stared up at him, extinguishing the flame quickly. "People… like me?"

She didn't realize that there were any people like her. She thought it was a mix up at the hospital when she was born, that a nurse had accidentally put radioactivity in her bottle. Maybe… she could finally get some real answers as to why she was the way she was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She remembered the day before, like it was a dream of some sort. They'd fought, she remembered that. She'd almost hit him, throwing him against the wall and burning him to a crisp, until someone had been upon her. She felt a sharp pain and fallen to the floor, drifting in and out of a dark haze. It wasn't painful anymore, only sore in the area that she'd been hit. She knew that it would heal in a couple of days, just like her bruises would.

Her eyes wouldn't open. Del had to physically pull her eyelids apart so as she could see. The ground was cold and bright white, making her eyes burn severally. She winced, rubbing her face roughly with the back of her hand. Once she was able to look at the room without blinking a few times, Delia took in all that was inside. It was a round, blank room, the glass thick, dense. She knew she wouldn't be able to escape easily, but she had to try. She could already feel the wall closing in and her eyes had begun to look around quickly.

Scratching her head and standing up, she snapped her fingers. The flame grew larger and larger with every step she took away from the glass. She pulled back her fist, then forcefully threw it into the glass. She was thrown back then, nothing but a small dark mark appearing from where she'd tried to smash it. She huffed, a bit frustrated, until she heard the dark chuckle coming from behind her.

Del pushed herself up off the floor, standing on the side farthest away from the man. He seemed to be in a cage identical to the one she was being kept in, except his was smaller and darker.

"They put a mere mortal _girl_ next to me?" The man couldn't help but laugh, his slight accent peeking through as he talked. "Oh what's wrong, love? Can't find mummy?"

Delia crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the man slightly as he continued to spit words out at her. "At least my hair is cut to an appropriate length, ma'am." She smirked, thinking that might shut that man up quickly.

He paused, walking closer to her as his expression darkened. "Do you know _who I am_?"

"Based on your outfit, a nerd from Comic Con?"

The man quickly shoved his fist against the glass, making Del jump a bit. "No, _little_ _girl_. I am God, who shall be treated as such."

Shaking her head, Del snapped her fingers, a small flame appearing in her hand. "You really shouldn't have done that."

The man took a step back as he watched the flame grow in her hands, and narrowed his eyes. "Ooh. The kitten's got a few claws, has she?" He began to laugh and turned around, walking towards the other side of the cage.

"_Don't_ walk away while I'm talking to you." Delia screamed at him, throwing a ball of fire in his direction. It bounced back, hitting her in the chest and not making a mark. She blinked, a bit confused as to why it didn't go right through or even melt the glass.

"These cages or indestructible, lo-"

Holding up a hand, Del yelled back, "And don't call me love."

The man rolled his eyes and laughed, turning back towards Delia. He began to smirk as she stared towards him, making sure not to look away. Looking away showed fear, she'd been taught from a young age. Brushing her fingers under her eye, she winced. The bruise from the day before had not yet healed, which surprised her. Usually they were gone by now…

"Delia Nathans." Turning around, Delia spotted the man from yesterday walking towards her 'cage', a few men with very large, unusual looking guns trailing behind.

"Nick Fury, correct?" She was lucky to remember his name as the man quickly punched in a code on the outside of the cage. "Where am I?"

Nick quickly shook his head and ushered her out of her cage. "Come with us. You and I can talk more when we're out-"

"And away from the monster?" Del turned back, noticing that the men had not opened up the God's cage. The man laughed loudly, throwing back his head.

Rolling his eyes, Nick turned back towards him and shook his head. "If you cooperated like you're brother, you might be able to."

"My brother is a petty fool!" He spat back, smirking in Del direction.

"I'm not going to have this conversation with you again, Loki."

Loki. So that was this 'God's' name. Del wondered if he'd been telling the truth. Maybe he was like her, the ones that Nick had told her about earlier. Before she had any more time to ponder the theory, Del was ushered out of the room and into the hallway.

"Now, follow me and I'll introduce you to the rest of the tea-"

Stopping dead in her tracks, she narrowed her eyes slowly. "Look, I don't know who exactly you think you are, but I can't join any 'team' right now. I have to get back to my brother and then down to the Bar to work my shift and-"

"I promised you that you'd be able to meet people just like you." Nick held up his hands, walking back towards her. "Isn't that what you wanted, Ms. Nathans?"

It was exactly what she wanted, to fit in and find people who were like her. Something inside of her didn't want to be an outcast anymore. Something inside of her didn't want to be afraid of someone who was not as powerful as her. She couldn't go back to her old life when she knew that there might be a chance for her to be… somewhat normal.

"If it's not… we can drop you off right now and get you a ride home." His voice was softer than before, gentler and calm. His hands dropped to his side as he studied her slowly.

Shaking her head slowly, she began to follow him again. "Just… give my brother a call? T-tell him not to worry about me. I'm… on a road trip, a spur-of-the-moment sort of thing. He'll believe that."


	3. Chapter 3

_Please excuse me if this chapter sucks… Today has not been particularly wonderful._

Chapter 3

The building was seemed to be a busy place with people running up and down the hallways past her, a few men carrying guns marching behind, and a woman with daring blue eyes occasionally looking back at Delia, then whispering something into Nick's ear. Sometimes he would look over his shoulder at her, other times he'd only give a small nod. It wasn't unclear who the woman was whispering about. The only thing that confused Del was what the hell she could be saying. They hadn't even spoken to each other yet.

Feeling uncomfortable, she kept her head down and her eyes on things other than the two in front of her. They guided her down the long hallway, a few people stopping to look back at her as they passed.

"_That's the one Fury brought on."_ She heard a woman whisper, Del's hears perked up as her head was still down. Something in the back of her mind told her to snap her fingers. She could send out a warning that she was not one to be whispered about, talked about behind her back. But before she could, her other hand had grabbed at the rubber band around her wrist and pulled it up far. She winced at the release, letting out a small squeak.

Suddenly, Delia was looking up, her eyes wandering around an extremely large-looking training room. She thought that the hallway's walk would be longer, something she'd hoped for. A woman in the corner hitting a dumbbell. A man to the left shooting arrows into a target, mentally noting that he had impeccable aim. Another man was in a large boxing-ring in the center of the room, smiling and showing his fists to another, larger built man. The room smell of sweat and was filled with energy from all directions.

Once they entered, Nick held up his hands and smiled. "Team, I've got someone I'd like for you to meet." He ushered her up in front of him and Del felt her cheeks turn a dark shade of red. "Delia Nathans, meet the rest of the Avengers."

It came suddenly, the nervousness that had overcome her quickly. Her mouth had gone dry and her palms began to sweat intensely. Why the hell was she so nervous? Slowly, the two men in the ring had managed to jump over the ropes casually and walked over to her. Both gave large smiles and nodded towards her.

"Madam Nathans. I am Thor of Asguard. It is exceedingly pleasurable to meet you." The larger man bowed his head a bit, keeping his eyes locked on hers. She wasn't used to such peculiar and long eye contact, her eyes darting around the room. She recognized that accent, though. It reminded her of the god who'd she'd woken up next to moments ago. Loki.

"Uh… Good to meet you too?" Giving a nervous laugh, she bowed her head in his direction. "But you can call me Del. Everyone does."

"As you wish." He agreed with her, lifting her hand.

Her eyes growing wide, she snapped her fingers on the hand he'd lifted towards his face, unsure of what he was about to do. Once he saw the small flame in her hand, Thor cautiously put her hand back down to her side, holding up his own hands in defense. "My apologies…"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked, seeing Nick's eyebrow raised as he pointed to her hand. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she closed her hand and extinguished the flame quickly.

"Nice to know Fury brought a pyro on board." The archer noted, taking a step forward with his hand out. Taking it slowly, Del gave a small smile. "Clint Barton… or Hawkeye to some."

"Nice to meet you…" Shrugging, she looked towards his feet. "Sorry. Haven't officially gotten my codename yet."

She let out a laugh as Clint did, his smug smirk turning into a smile. "No worries. We'll find you something soon."

A woman stepped up next to him, her fiery red hair pulled back into a ponytail as she pushed Clint aside. "Clint, stop flirting the poor girl up." She put out her own hand and smiled warmly. "Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow."

Del had to admit, the woman was gorgeous. Her eyes were wide and beautiful, her body long and curvy in all the right places while Delia was just a lanky girl. Even though she seemed to be drenched in sweat, Natasha still managed to look absolutely perfect, not a single hair out of place as a towel hung off of her shoulder.

"It's great to meet you Natasha and may I say; you have an incredible swing." Del murmured as she took the woman's hand, awkwardly commenting on her punching skills.

Natasha grinned widely and gripped Del's hand tightly. "Maybe I could train you sometime. Though I doubt you'll need it with all that excess amount of heat underneath your nails." She pointed to Delia's hand as she pulled away.

"Uh-well-I-"

Probably knowing that she was feeling a bit awkward, the man who'd been in the ring opposite of Thor finally stepped forward. He put his hand out with an unusually large, friendly smile. "Steve Rogers… AKA Captain America."

Before he could take her hand, Del stepped back and bumped into Nick. She felt the muscles in her shoulders tense as she swallowed roughly. Steve narrowed his eyes, a bit confused at her reaction to his introduction. "Something wrong?"

Del felt like she was seeing a ghost, shaking her head quickly as she looked towards the floor nervously. Taking his hand finally, her grip was loose as she only kept eye contact with his shoes. "Nothing's wrong... Just-uh-m-my mom was a big fan of yours." Finally managing a smile, Del looked up.

"Where's Stark and Banner?" Nick finally said, taking a step into the circle that had formed around Del.

Natasha rolled her eyes a bit and laughed. "Where they always are; up in their little laboratory playing with their chemistry sets."

Laughing along with Natasha, Nick ushered Del back towards the door. She wished that she could have stayed longer, maybe even taking up Natasha's offer to train. The woman seemed to know what she was doing, especially if she was on this little 'team' they had going.

"It was nice to meet you, Del. See you later." Natasha yelled over her shoulder, making eye contact with Delia.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you too, Nat."

_BTW, this Chapter was supposed to go really quickly. So you understood why Del was so nervous, right? _


	4. Chapter 4

_That really awkward moment when you apparently change your character's last name after the first chapter. Whoops. Delia's last name is officially Nathans. Thanks for the warning SkyCake! Also, just wanted to thank all of you for adding me to your favorite stories/story alerts. It really means a lot when I also get reviews. *whistles innocently* Ok, story time!_

Chapter 4

It was another long, painfully awkward walk down the hallway towards somewhere she was unsure of. The pure anticipation and boredom began to pick at her mind and Del began to snap her fingers anxiously. Suddenly, Fury turned around and looked at her. He grabbed her hand lightly and shook his head.

"Not in the hallway, ok?" He mumbled slowly, keeping his eyes on hers.

She felt her cheeks begin to redden as multiple people passed by, embarrassed about being 'lectured' in public. Quickly, she jerked her hand away from him and nodded in agreement. "Fine."

They rounded the corner, Delia bumping to a shorter, balding man. It was sudden and startled her, her fingers snapping in defense. The man held up his hand and took a few steps back.

"Wow, wow, wow!" He yelled, looking from Del to Nick, his eyes widened in fear and surprise.

Rolling his eyes, Nick stepped between the man and Delia. He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrow, pointing towards her hand. "We just had an agreement, Delia."

Looking back over Nick's shoulder at the scared-looking man, Del balled up her hands into a fist, extinguishing the flame completely. "I'm really sorry. You-uh-… you just scared me is all."

Putting out the same hand that she'd lit on fire just moments ago, Delia gave a small, harmless smirk. "Delia-"

"Nathans." The man finished the sentence off with a nod, taking her hand and shaking it, his grip firm. "I've been the one doing extensive research on you, Ms. Nathans. It's finally nice to meet you in person."

She gave the man a strange look, pulling her hand away cautiously. This man had done… _research_? On her? He probably found everything. And by everything, she meant _everything_. Swallowing roughly, Delia narrowed her eyes and looked the man up and down. He was on the shorter side, but she couldn't tell, seeing as she'd met men who were as tall as oak trees just a little while ago. He had a cluster of brown hair around a bald spot, though his smile and friendly face made up for the little-to-no hair issue. He was dressed in a jacket and black tie, looking ready for a work day.

The man looked at her nervously, probably expecting her to throw a fist full of fire at him again. Cautiously, he took a step forward and smiled. "I'm Agent Phil Coulson, by the way. Sorry if I spooked you with the 'stalking you for all intensive purposes' thing."

Delia managed to let out a small laugh. This Phil character seemed to be a bit… on the nerdy side, but was harmless none the less. "Nice to meet you Agent Coulson-"

"Phil." He said quickly. "Just call me Phil."

"Phil. It's nice to meet you. Don't know what to say about myself since you seem to know pretty much everything already." She smirked gleefully as his cheeks went pink.

Just as Coulson opened his mouth to say something, Nick stepped forward and place a hand on Del's shoulder. "Think you could show Ms. Nathans to Banner and Stark's lab, Coulson?"

The agent bowed his head a bit and ushered Del towards his direct. "Of course. Come along, Ms. Nathans. Time for you to meet the nerds." A smirk made its way up onto Coulson's lips and he laughed.

Looking back over her should, Del felt the presence of… fear? Was it fear or just nervousness? So far, she'd met an archer dressed all in black, an incredibly beautiful woman who could easily kill Del in a heartbeat, and finally, man with arms the size of tree trunks who looked as though he could be a pro-wrestler. Then there was the 'Super Soldier'. His face was just as her mother had described to her brother and Delia when they were children. She'd been told so man stories of 'the Great and Noble Captain America', and she'd just come face-to-face with him mere moments ago. It was a breathtaking thing.

By the time Agent Coulson had brought her to the outside of a large door, his phone was buzzing intensely. He held up a finger and pressed the green button on his phone as he walked over to the side. Not wanting to wait on the agent, Delia managed to walk up to the automatic-opening door, trying to prepare herself for all that might be behind it. Until she heard the hard, heavy pounding of multiple feet marching on the metal flooring.

Turning her head slightly, Del managed to look over her shoulder with intrigue and suspicion. Those familiar dark eyes. That cunning, teasing smile. It was all so familiar and dream like to her as she stared across the hallways, through a room's windows to the other side where he and about fifteen other men were marching next to him. She swallowed roughly as he rounded the corner towards her direction. All the men around him held extremely large guns and did not once turn their attention towards her.

But the God did. His eyes made their way towards hers. They were deep and intriguing, almost like a deep ocean. A smirk tugged at the top of his lips, her eyes not leaving his. It was like he was hypnotizing her with just that look.

He and the group of men passed by slowly, Loki looking directly at her as she felt the muscles in her arm tensed.

"I'll be seeing you round, love." He whispered, only loudly enough for her to hear as he passed.

She wasn't able to catch her breath after that, only managing to murmur back, "I'll be waiting, Loki."

_Sorry this chapter was so short and stuff. BUT I BROUGHT COULSON BACK BECAUSE I LOVE HIM. DO NOT EVEN COMMENT ON THAT. And I just wanted to express my gratitude for everyone taking the chance to read/review this story. I don't understand why it's become so popular, but I would also like to thank the 2 communities that have added me. This is weird, because now I feel like I'm going to disappoint you all somehow… forgive me if that happens…_


	5. Chapter 5

***sighs* I'm sorry that I've taken so long to update guys. I've been very, very busy, if that makes a difference. Also trying to get my writing cap back on… can't seem to find it anywhere… AND MAYBE YOU ALL SHOULD KEEP REVIEWING JUST MAYBE OK BYE… -Meg**

Chapter 5

Slowly, the two large, metal doors opened. She made her way in cautiously, her hands pushed into her pockets. She was greeted with what looked to be a lab. 'Back in Black' blasted through a small stereo in the corner, the music making the walls thump continuously. Her eyes wandered over an abundance of pieces and parts to things that looked almost foreign to her.

But then she spotted something hauntingly familiar sitting in the far corner of the lab; a 1974 Ford Bronco. The car looked to be falling apart, the engine taken out of the hood and tossed up onto the metal table. It was rusty and seemed to be in desperate need of a greasy-rub-down.

"It's just the breaks, Tony!"

"Really? Then why's the gas petal stuck, Banner?"

Delia slowly made her way over to the opposite side of the car, following deep and muffled arguing. Raising an eyebrow, she looked down to see two sets of legs popped out from underneath the lifted-up Ford. She just watched for a bit, then began to laugh as the two men continued to argue.

"MARIA! I told you three times to get the hell-" The first man rolled out from underneath the car, grease running down his shirt and up his hands. He began to wipe the grease off onto a rag drooped down over his shoulder as he stood up. "Looks like we have a guest, Bruce."

Hearing a painful ding of bone against metal, the second man quickly pulled himself out, holding onto his head as he pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. Delia's eyebrow was still raised as the man with a smug smirk stepped forward and offered his hand. "Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man."

She took his hand cautiously, not really going out of her way to make herself seem friendly. "Delia Nathans. No official name yet."

Tony nodded as Delia pulled back, looking towards the other man awkwardly. Tony gave him a slight push, obviously knocking the man back into reality. "Oh-uh-right..." He put out his hand, taking hers in a loose grip. "Doctor Bruce Banner." The doctor gave a weary smile and pulled back before looking over at Tony.

"So-uh…" Looking over their shoulder, Delia smiled. "That's a nice car you've guys have got."

Tony turned around swiftly, his hands tucked behind his back. "I suppose it would be, if we could get the damn thing to work. I don't think it likes Banner very much."

Tony began walking back towards the car, Delia and Bruce in tow. Bruce rolled his eyes, turned towards Delia. "He's been pounding at this thing for about three day-"

"Only two and a half, Banner." Tony yelled over his shoulder, looking over the engine. After a while of staring at the damaged metal, Tony threw up his hands, turning towards the door Delia had come through just moments before. "I'm gonna go get some scotch. Maybe the thing'll look different if I'm less sober."

As Tony left through the door, Delia turned back towards Bruce. "He always been like that?"

Bruce looked up, a bit lost. "Always been like…?"

"Always been so smug and sure of himself? I can just sense these things about people…" Bruce began to laugh and shake his head. "Just let me know if I'm wrong, Doctor."

"Oh no, no. You're not wrong at all." He laughed out a bit. "I just find it very impressive that you've got Stark pinpointed after only two minutes and not even a full conversation with him. Impressive…"

Delia smiled and bowed her head a bit. "Well thank you, I try. Judging people, 'something I'm good at, I guess."

Bruce nodded awkwardly as he continued to work at the engine. Delia moved over towards him, looking over his shoulders as the doctor's fingers rubbed grease over a gear.

"So, it's just the gas petal then, Doctor?" She gave a small smirk as Bruce turned back, confused.

"Wh-oh! Yea… That's what I think, anyways. Tony thinks differently." Sighing, Del motioned for Bruce to sit down.

"Let me see if I can try and help you out. My brother and I always used to work on my step-dad's cars together."

Bruce nodded in agreement. He'd been yelled at the last few days by Tony, telling the other man, in a calming tone, that they could take a break from the project, that Bruce wasn't going to be driving anywhere anytime soon, etc. Tony didn't care. He wanted it to be fixed, and he wanted to be the one to fix it. Bruce cursed the man's pride in silence and would go back to work silently.

Her eyes grazing over the machine and gears, Bruce moved to look at her concentrated face. "It's Bruce by the way. If you're going to be joining the team-"

"Never said I was, Doctor." She didn't want to get attached. If she made friends in this place, she'd never want to leave. Bruce nodded awkwardly and looked towards his feet. "So… tell me about yourself, Ms. Nathans."

Shaking her head, Delia clicked one of the loose gears back into its place. "Not much to tell really. I work at a bar in Queens. My brother's the successful one in the family. Me… I've lit a few buildings on fire and apparently this Fury dude found out about it, came and got me." She shrugged and looked back towards Bruce.

Bruce pressed his lips together. "I'm sorry to hear that. Guess the same thing happened to me, really, but with Ms. Romanoff. You met her yet?"

"Red hair? Curvy as hell? Handshake can kill you?" Delia laughed a bit and looked down. "Uh… yeah. She's a little bit… intimidating. Told me she'd help me train, but I usually don't work out. Lighting things on fire doesn't really require much strength or agility."

He smiled at her description of Natasha, thinking of the beautiful woman. Delia spotted the small grin and smiled back. "So… maybe you should tell your buddy that I've semi-fixed your car."

Walking over towards the driver's side, Delia put the key in the ignition and started the car, the loud hum startling Bruce a bit.

Shaking his head, Bruce gave an uneasy smile. "Tony's going to hate you."

_**Author's Note**_

**Yes. I freaking do ship Bruce/Nat. So… *shrugs***


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Restlessly, she was playing with a small screwdriver on the metal table, watching Bruce and Tony continue to work on the car once Tony returned from getting his scotch. Del had showed him what she'd done to help him, a large smile on her face as Bruce watched. Standing back, she allowed him to turn the key once again and hear the smooth and beautiful sound of the engine.

Tony quickly turned it off and looked back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the anxious girl. The man looked towards Bruce and pointed a finger towards him. "Why the hell did you let her touch it? I thought I told you to kick her out."

Bruce blinked and looked down awkwardly before Tony rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get back to work." Turning back, Tony pointed towards Delia. "You. Sit."

Rolling her eyes, Delia quickly found a stool and sat down. Anxiety and boredom began to pick at her brain as she sighed. Her hands went towards her pocket. Phone, check. Wallet, check. Picture-

Her eyes flew down towards her partially-empty pocket, her fingers curling up onto the outside of it. Standing up and running towards the door, Bruce stood up and narrowed his eyes.

"Where ya goin'? He asked curiously.

Del didn't have time to answer as she began to bolt down the hallway towards the room she'd been in only a few moments before. As the doors opened to the large, now vacant Cage Room, Delia ran over towards 'her' cage. Her eyes narrowed, in search of her beloved pictures as the tears pricked her eyes.

Suddenly, something on the glass of the cage caught her eye. It was small, not at all noticeable unless you really looked. She blinked a few times, making sure she was really seeing this.

_Looking for something, love? _

The message looked as though it had been scratched through the glass. Her heart began to beat faster, this time, not from her running around. She shook her head, completely in denial.

_He couldn't have it. He didn't understand_… It was hers. She was going to get it back whether he wanted to give it up or not. She'd beat it out of him, burn him to toast if that's what it took.

He'd been pacing back and forth in his new forced-solitude, a menacing grin upon his face. Loki had been waiting a few hours for her, with the picture of the woman who looked eerily similar wrapped up in his hand. He wanted to see her again. Call it intrigue or the pure thrill of annoyance, but whatever it was, the brunette woman had begun to stir in Loki's mind since she left.

The moment she stepped into the metal-filled room, her forehead slightly sweating and her breathing intense, a larger, Joker-like grin appeared on his face.

"Looks as though the kitten's come to poke at the mutt." He laughed a bit as his terrible joke, standing up straight in front of her. She kept her gaze on him and began to grind her teeth anxiously.

"Give. It. Back." She wasn't kidding or here to get sucked up into his petty games.

Shaking his head, Loki held up the familiar, worn out picture in front of Del. "This? What's its significance to you, Del-"

"Give it back, now." She shouted at him, thrusting her fist against the glass as a few flames poked out from between her curled-up fingers.

"Now, now, Delia. Let's not play so rough… unless you like it rough." Loki's smirk widened with Delia's overwhelming impatience.

"I'm not playing around, Loki. Give me that picture now, or I'll burn your eyes right out of their sockets."

Loki sucked in through his teeth, shaking his head as he began to walk around his cage. She followed him, her eyes glued to the picture tucked in his hands that was resting behind his back. Noticing her burning a hole through the paper with her eyes, Loki looked at it again, a smile on his face.

He turned back, a bit amused. "You look just like her, Delia darling."

That was it; the thing to send her over the edge. The last drop causing the water to pour over the edge. Loki had just tapped on one of the most sensitive nerves in her body; her mother.

"YOU BASTARD," was all that was screamed before Delia took a handful of flames and threw them towards Loki. The glass got in the way, causing Del to scratch and punch, Loki smirking on the other side with not a hair out of place. He was rather amused by her reaction to this one statement. It fascinated him to see a human react this way to someone else. He'd never known anything like this, the unfamiliar emotion confusing him even more than he'd intended.

His eyes narrowed as tears of frustration poured from her eyes. "What is it, Delia? What is wrong?"

"You know what's wrong you fucking creep." She'd shout, continuing to pound on the glass.

Del didn't notice the large, blonde haired-God and Tony run into the room, Nick and the whole team behind them. They were the first to reach her, Thor pulling on her hands. He'd cry out in pain, Del burning him with the flames shooting out of her hands.

"Delia!" Nick would shout the girl's name a few times before giving up. He made his way over to the control panel, pressing a small, red button. Loki suddenly disappeared, the glass being covered over by a large metal cover.

As the man disappeared, Delia pounded on the glass even harder, screaming and crying out until she fell to the floor, hands pressed against the glass.

The team stood around, Nick looking at her with sadness in his eye. Slowly, Bruce pulled away from the crowd that had gathered around the young girl. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, sitting down next to her.

"Delia…" He barely had time to finish the sentence before Delia pulled away from him to stand up.

"I'm fine." She mustered, wiping the tears away. Turning to Nick, Del's voice cracked as she commanded, "I want that picture back. I don't care if you have to kill him-"

"He is my brother!" Thor shouted, stepping forward with his hand still wrapped around his burnt arm.

Delia ground her teeth before giving the blonde man an intense look. "I don't care. That is the last picture I have and I will kill you to get to him if that's what it takes."

Storming out of the room, the team watched her go, Bruce staring at the floor before following her, calling her name.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

She'd run all the way to her room, tears in her eyes as many people stopped to stare. Wishing she could just light them on fire, Delia ran faster than she ever had. Everything was going by so fast, everything changing in a single instant. Her mind was spinning and makeup was running down her cheeks. All she wanted was Danny right now, the brother who could solve any problem she had. He didn't even know where she was, let alone what she was going through. Being brought into a room full of strangers and being forced onto a team, this was not something she signed up for.

She stopped outside of her new room, though she thought of it more as a cell. Her muscles, heart, and head were aching as tears slid down her cheeks. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder. She turned back, her eyes cold as her fingers snapped together and a flame ignited in her hand. She held her fist up and the pain in her eyes was obvious.

Jumping back, Bruce shook his head. "Delia…"

She'd stare at him for a few moments before lowering her fist, the flame extinguishing fast. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean t-" She couldn't find the right words to explain her actions back in the cell room. There wasn't really any explanation, in all honesty.

Bruce cautiously touched her shoulder and shook his head. "It's ok… Really. Loki's a bag of cats. He'll do anything to get under your skin… Though I have to say, it seems he's taken a special interest in getting under yours."

Delia managed a small laugh, wiping the tears from her cheek. Sighing, she looked back up at the doctor. "That was my mother, the only picture I have left of her. I need it back." Her voice was softer this time, still serious and angry, but calmer.

Bruce stared at her, then the floor for a moment. There was nothing he could do right now for her. Fury would never allow her back inside that room, or anywhere near Loki. But he looked back up at her then, tears still running down that beautiful skin of hers, and his heart ached for the younger woman. For some reason, he felt attached to her now, like he _had_ to help her, be her hero.

"I shouldn't have come here. I knew I should have just… told Fury I wanted to go home." _What home?_ "Now I'm just hurting myself, everyone here… I should have just stayed."

Delia turned and opened the door to her room quickly. Everything of hers that had survived the fire was already placed perfectly in her room, pictures on the shelves, flowers on the side table. It was eerily like her old flat, which made her cautious as she sat down on her bed. She'd hoped that he had just gone back to his little science experiments, but instead, Bruce followed her in, closing the door behind him.

Sighing, Delia looked up at him. "Go away."

"No." Bruce shook his head, sitting down next to her. He made sure to give her the space she loved to have, but was close enough to offer a shoulder to cry on.

Delia would only avert her eyes and try not to continue to cry. "This has to be able something else, Delia." Bruce managed finally. "Please-"

Suddenly, the girl stood up, throwing her hands up. "FINE. You wanna know what's wrong with me? I'm a fucking torch. All I can do is set things on fire, blow things up, kill people. That's all I'm good for."

At this point, Bruce had sat back and watched her yell to anyone, not necessarily towards him. Delia might not have realized who she was talking to at the moment, but something made her want to get everything out to his man she barely knew. She trusted him for some damn reason.

"That's probably why Fury brought me on. He was scared that I'd be the Avenger's next target. A damn, daft little girl who just needs some fucking guidance, right?"

Bruce watched her pace back and forth. His eyes went towards her hands, where her fingertips had just begun to start burning a bright orange flame.

"I was so damn stupid to think that I was actually needed here." She finally stopped screaming as she leaned up against the wall and fell to the floor.

Cautiously, Bruce moved over to her, sitting down and leaning up against the wall next to her. All they could do in that moment was stare at the wall while Bruce tried to come up with something to say.

Finally, he looked at her. "I-I understand."

"How in the hell can you-"

"Just hear me out." Delia pressed her lips together and let him continue. "You know that thing that went on a rampage in San Francisco a few years ago? 'The Hulk' as the news channels named him? Well… that big, scary, green monster was me. I know how you feel. You think that you can only cause destruction, damage, and pain… Then someone comes along and they-they tell you that you can do good. There's a way for you to do some good in this crazy society, this crazy country. I lived in India for a long time because I believed I was a danger to everyone. I pushed myself away from anyone who wanted to get close."

Finally, Bruce looked over at Delia, who's eyes were glued to the floor, only listening to him. "That's what I believe you've done to yourself. I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear, but I want to try and be your friend, Delia. Please…"

She didn't say anything to him for a long time, only looked at the floor and her lips pressed together. He stared at her for as long as his eyes would allow him before standing up.

"At least… think about it, Del. You and I… We're not so different." He brushed off his pants, then walked out of her room, leaving her with her thoughts and the offer.


	8. Chapter 8

_So… you should all review. Just sayin'. Just to make sure that people are still reading this… Alright. Bye._

Chapter 8

Stumbling down the stairs, her hair tangled, eyes shut, and her feet bare, Delia didn't even bother to address the people who had stopped to stare at her. It was a Monday, so most likely they were all working. She was still in her pajama bottoms at 9 in the morning. A massive headache and she felt as though she had a hangover, but from what? She hadn't ordered any alcohol last night, nothing to make her feel this way. Maybe it was just the extremely long day that had occurred yesterday. She found the cafeteria, the marking on the outside stating it was only for the Avengers.

Rolling her eyes, she entered the room without a problem. She was probably famous around this place by now. Looking up, she was greeted with Tony eating some sort of cereal at the table. The sigh heard from her was loud and obvious, making Tony turn his head.

"Well if it isn't the Burning Man, come to grace us with her presence." She didn't even have the nerve to say anything to him this morning being way too tired.

Turning, she gave him the most terrifying glare she could. Tony only laughed back, continuing to eat his puffs.

"Oh come on, Hot-head! Sit down." He ushered towards the empty seat in front of him as his head was bowed.

Slowly, Del obliged and took a seat across from him. Last week, she was lucky to even get a look from the other bartenders. If they could only see her now, sitting across the table from _the_ Tony Stark. Of course, most of them would tell her that he was a pathetic wanna-be Daddy's boy, but none of them could deny that he was a genius, probably the smartest man in country.

Sitting back in her seat, Del took the small cup of tea in her hands and sipped it loudly. Tony began to laugh, knowing that the abundance of noise was on purpose. This annoyed to her to no end.

"So tell me about yourself, Torch." Tony muttered into his spoon-full.

"Not much to tell really." Delia managed, sitting up finally. Her cup made contact with the table as she sighed. "Got a brother back in Brooklyn, bartending job, and a now in-ashes apartment. My life was pathetic." Delia laughed into her drink.

"Well… you're here now, right?" Tony's gaze wandered up towards the woman, his lips pressed together. "It may not look like it yet, but… this little 'Avengers' deal, it's pretty good. Trust me."

"And how would you know?" She growled, her fingers tightening around her cup. "Your life was great before this. Billionaire, genius… What else is there?"

Tony was quite for a moment, watching Delia as she took another sip of her tea. He breathed, and shook his head. The only way to get through to this girl was to be brutally honest.

"What else? There's humanity. There's helping people." He murmured quietly. "There's so much more to life than just being… rich, smart. This little team thing has helped me realize that. And don't tell him this, but Banner's also been a big influence on me. After all that time he spent helping out people in India, he's an expert in that sort of thing."

She didn't utter a word as he opened up to her. It was weird. After all of the shallow, terrible things she'd heard about Stark from the media, Tony was surprising her in more ways than one.

Swallowing roughly, Del managed, "Well… I didn't do anything like that. Might have gave food to a homeless person on a bench in Bryan Park once in a while, but… other than that…" She hesitated. "I'm not a good person, Mr. Stark."

"Neither am I." Tony confessed slowly. "But… who says that these things can't be taught, right? I mean, look at Thor. He's told us about the terrible things he used to do, going to other worlds and asking to start a war. Look at him now; he's selfless. It's incredible. I think… I think that's why Fury's kept Loki here so long." He noted. "After the New York thing, Loki's scepter was sent back. SHIELD and Thor believe that the thing has some kind of power over him."

Scoffing, Delia rolled her eyes. "He's a complete asshole, on a royal level, Mr. Stark. I don't care what SHIELD or his brother thinks. The man is just-"

"That's what I thought too, but… people can change." Tony proclaimed. "I've seen it happen to a lot of brilliant people, like Ms. Romanoff. I've experienced it myself, Ms. Nathans. It can happen to even the most terrible of people."

"Do you believe it can happen to someone like me?" Delia replied quietly, her gaze shifting up.

Tony remained silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he only stared at the woman. Finally, he managed to nod his head. "I believe someone like you can make amazing things happen if you want."

She could change, but only if she wanted to? To her, that didn't seem like very helpful advice. Nodding, Delia picked up her cup and walked towards the door. Tony only watched her for a moment, before calling out, "Delia?"

She turned back. "Yeah?"

Tony shook his head. "I heard what you said to Banner last night, about only being destructive?"

Her cheeks turned a scarlet color as she looked into the cup in her hands. "I should light you up right now, you know that?"

"Just hear me out." Tony offered. "Fire… it's such a unique thing. Even I haven't found a way to manage it. Someone like you, with a power like this, it's powerful. Don't think of it as destructive, or terrifying. You provide something that everyone in their life needs just a bit of; light."

Turning back towards the door, Delia felt a small smile work its way up onto her lips. "Shut up, Stark."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Wait, you want us to what?" Natasha retorted at Fury.

"One of you has to go and try to get Loki on our team." Fury repeated, his anger obvious at Natasha's outburst.

Most of the team looked as though Fury was speaking a different language. Bruce only managed a small laugh, taking off his glasses and rubbing his temples out of the somewhat stressful situation. Tony just rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers against to table, seated next to Delia. Natasha was standing behind Thor, leaning her hands on the back of the chair he was in. Thor was intrigued by Fury's proposition.

"My brother? As one of us?" Thor asked, looking around at the others.

"That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard." Delia laughed, her feet still up on the table.

This made Tony laugh loudly, standing up along with Natasha. "I agree with Hothead. That's idiotic. I mean, we barely survived last time we let him out of the damn cage. Should we really risk it this time?"

At this point, even Thor had become quiet. There was nothing he could say at this point, no way of defending his brother after all that the man had done to his second home, his precious Earth. He'd threatened the people who had become dear to him, wanting to get other his brother's skin. It wasn't like it was at all an accident. Loki was an attention seeker. This was something that Thor had learned over the first few months into his brother's capture. He remained quiet as Fury sighed deeply.

"I didn't want you all to know. At this point, this could just be a tiny bomb threat that the police can handle-"

"What are you talking about, Fury?" Natasha narrowed her eyes.

Everyone was looking at the man now, confused.

"There's… been a significant threat towards SHEILD." Fury hesitated saying anymore, but continued on. "When Mr. Rogers fought and took down the last soul member of HYDRA, he apparently… missed one-"

"What do you mean 'missed one'?" Steve stood up, his hands on his hips.

Fury sighed again. "This threat implies that HYDRA is back up and running. At this point, like I said before, this might actually be nothing more than a stupid kid who found files at an abandoned base in Germany."

"But it's still a threat." Steve replied.

"And that's why we need to try and convince Mr. God of Mischief to join the team."

Delia was the first to look at the rest of the team. It had only been a few days, but it seemed like it had been a lifetime with this gang. Clint had taught Delia how to shoot an arrow and throw darts perfectly. He wasn't much of a talker really, but Del wasn't either. Bruce and her ended up just sitting in each other's rooms at night and read books. Natasha had taken it upon herself to train Delia in every aspect of combat in case for some reason, Delia wasn't able to light up. Tony usually just liked to push her buttons, but Del had already taken a liking to the older man.

Suddenly, Tony's finger was on his nose. "NOSES GOES." He shouted, holding up his other hand.

As though it was a fire drill, the whole team did the same as Tony. Delia looked around, confused, until she was the only one without a finger on her nose.

Tony began to laugh and pointed at Del. "You have to talk to Loki."

The color drained from Delia's face so fast, you'd have thought she was a pipe with a leak. Standing up, she shook her head furiously. "No. No no no no no no."

"It is the law of none go, Delia." Thor boomed.

Delia turned to Thor and stared at him. "Don't give a flying shit, Thor."

Thor shook his head, standing up across from the younger woman. Once he did, Delia looked about as small as an ant compared to Thor.

"My brother… has taken a liking to you, Delia." He proclaimed slowly. "You may be the lone person he will hear. Please… just try."

Her arms were crossed roughly, her eyes locked on the God's. "Can we all just remember the last time that Loki and I were in close quarters with each other? I nearly set him on fire. Oh, and the second time… I almost did the same exact thing. I don't believe I'm the one Loki should be speaking with." Delia explained to the group.

"He won't listen to Thor's reasoning, Delia." Fury stepped forward. "He turns into a jester and pokes at the man. Bruce is out-"

"What about Natasha?" Delia looked towards the other woman as the others did.

Natasha raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Not happening."

Delia looked from one person to another, each other their gazes falling as she did. There was anger boiling inside of her, frustration obvious in her posture and look. They were throwing her to the wolves; one wolf in particular. Grinding her teeth, she reviewed the events before that had involved Loki. She had always run from men like him, barely escaping with her life or the little self-respect that she had left for herself. Thor was kind, gentle. How could someone like Loki come from the same set of parents as someone like Thor? It didn't matter if he was adopted. Nurture over nature.

But… she couldn't quite use that excuse. Her and Danny weren't at all the same person and they were raised the same. Danny ended up being a teacher and Delia a bartender. Danny was sweet and kind and amazing while Delia…

"I'm not going in without some kind of back up." She began to walk towards the door as the others stared at her. "And I'll need a book. A specific kind of book. I'll give you a list, Fury. And if I blow him up," she turned back finally. "It's your fault." She nodded toward the group.

"You will do it?" Thor grinned widely.

Nodding slowly, Delia gave a small, barely noticeable smile back. "Yeah, big guy. I'll do it for you."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Sorry for not updating guys! I've been on vacation. Back for good now, though. Also, for those of you who have a tumblr, for my fanfic updates and mini prompts for Del/Loki, follow meganwritesstuff.**_

Chapter 10

The room was dark and cold. The bench he'd been sitting on for the last few days wasn't any different, but it's not like he cared. It gave him time to think and ponder everything that had been happening the last few weeks. Thor was a complete idiot for joining this kind of team, for being sort of mortal. It was as though Thor didn't realize that they were Gods, Kings that could rule over these people if they wanted. He only shook his head at the thought of falling in love with a mortal like his brother. These mindless women weren't worth his time, use them and discard them as though they were nothing, because they were. These girls were a dime a dozen. None were beautiful enough or smart enough to be his queen.

But this girl, this Delia who'd seemed so annoyed and angry with him, it was good fun to tease her and pick at her weaknesses. It wasn't very difficult to do so either. She was fun to mess with and she allowed him to get under her skin.

It was a Wednesday when the doors to the wide, metal room opened. Her long, curly brown hair was the first thing he noticed. It looked as though she hadn't even tried to maintain it. The wild mess of hair sort of complimented her features though, and he couldn't help but stare for a few moments before catching himself.

"Darling…" He smiled widely, moving over to her, though he didn't get far with the glass in between him and her.

Delia didn't say anything as he stood up. She merely ignored his nickname for her and sat down on the floor in front of the glass. Loki gazed down at her, confusion on his face. He cleared his throat for a moment and sat down with her.

"They've sent me to talk to you." She uttered as she folding her legs.

Nodding slowly, Loki closed his eyes. "I believed that it would happen eventually. They've learned from their mistakes in sending my brother the previous time."

She stared at him for a moment as he mentioned his brother, rolling his eyes as he did so. There was slight annoyance behind his words and it confused her. Thor obviously cared for Loki from the way he talked about him.

"What of your family, Loki?" It was the first time she spoke his real name. It felt… comfortable, for some reason.

She spotted a small smile when he heard his name. "My family… is not of importance. They are better off without me. Besides, they have only held me back from realizing my true potential in this life."

"And what is that?" Delia leaned forward.

"To free people from what I have felt my entire life; burden."

He didn't understand why he was telling her all of this, but… it was so simple to speak to her, so easy.

"Burden… I know what that feels like." Staring at the floor, she mindlessly drew circles on the floor next to her. "My brother… has always taken care of me. I've always held him back from doing what he's wanted. He could have been anything, but he decided to be a damn teacher." She rolled her eyes.

"That is not your fault." Loki exclaimed. "It is his decision."

Shrugging, Delia laughed a bit. They were being civil to each other. After everything that Loki had done to her, she was actually managing to have a real conversation with him. It was a curious thing, but she decided not to question it. This was her first mission, and for some reason, she didn't want to let the team down. _Her_ team.

"I'm going to tell you why I've really come here." Loki blinked, listening to the girl speak to him in such a manner, so forcefully. Delia leaned forward and shook her head. "They want you to join us."

"Join...?" Loki narrowed his eyes, confused.

Delia smirked. "The Avengers, idiot."

"I do not believe I am-"

"Whatever." She waved her hand.

His gaze settled on her for a moment. This mortal woman was telling him simply what she wanted. Usually, these women just meandered around what they really desired, instead of being upfront. He admired her a bit for being different, though he would never say this aloud.

"I am not who they're looking for." He spoke simply.

"What do you-"

"They would not desire to have me on the team. They only desire my knowledge."

Delia shook her head. "What's so bad about that? What's so wrong with being good?"

Once the words left her mouth, she realized that she had just contradicted herself. Delia knew exactly why it was so difficult to be good. It was as though Loki had read her mind with what he said next:

"Because being bad is so much simpler."

She had no response for that. Pressing her lips together, Delia stood up. His eyes followed her, confused and a bit disappointed.

"Wait." She stopped, but didn't turn around as he continued. "What if I consider this proposition?"

He didn't see the small smirk that had crept up onto her lips. "If you consider... then I'll stop calling you an idiot."

He merely laughed and shook his head. "That is all?"

"I didn't say that the reward was anything brilliant."

She continued to walk towards the door before Loki stood up. "Wait."

"What now?" She turned around, a bit annoyed.

"Will you return?" He bowed his head a bit, his gaze resting on her. The question was simple, but so complex.

She stared back at him, her mouth gaped open a bit. "Possibly. We'll see how I'm feelin' tomorrow."

With that, Delia left, a sense of accomplishment and a smile on her face.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The day dragged on longer than she had expected it to. She was supposed to be visiting Loki again around noon, but Natasha had kept her in the training room most of the morning. The Russian woman had described her skills as lacking.

"Lacking? Nat, I'm one of the best bar fighters in Manhattan!" Delia put up her fists and began to dance around, like she was about to fight.

Natasha could only laugh at the fragile-looking brunette. It was quite funny to watch a 120 pound girl think that she could take down a gang of the most evil villains in the world. Natasha remembers that she had done it many times before and now she would have to train Delia, just to make sure the younger, naïve girl didn't get hurt or even hurt herself. Fury had put both Natasha and Clint in charge of Del, expecting her to fall into a friendship with the two former spies. Delia didn't do as expected, though. Bruce and Delia had been talking about biochemistry until midnight, reading books, or even just having a cup of coffee. They found a comfort in each other. Delia didn't really consider anyone her friend, but secretly, Bruce thought that he was her best one yet.

Rolling her eyes a bit at Delia, Natasha turned back to grab a towel. "Yeah, yeah… I see you, Deli."

Delia managed a small smirk before nodding to Clint and leaving. The hallways seemed so much longer than they had all week. On the other end, she would have to put on a different mask, a more patient, understanding one that didn't want to rip Loki's throat out.

The minute the doors opened, Loki was to his feet, hands pressed against the glass and a large smile on his lips. It was a devious one and Delia knew it. She still hadn't gained his trust and he hadn't hers. So far, they both liked it like that.

"Darling-"Loki was interrupted by Delia holding up a finger. "I have a name, Loki. We've been over this."

Grinding his teeth, annoyed at this disrespectful mortal, Loki backed up. "Fine. Good morning, Delia."

"Good afternoon, Loki." Delia bowed her head and took her place on the floor.

"Afternoon?" He cocked his head to the side, a bit confused.

She laughed before shaking her head. "It's one in the afternoon, Loki."

The god nodded. "Funny… Time seems to slow in this cage."

Delia only watched him for a moment. He seemed like such a big and bad bully last year in New York, the way the news had portrayed him. Were they wrong or was Loki just putting on an act for her, now? She didn't know at this point. Giving up on trying to figure it out, Delia plucked a book from her bag.

"What do you have there?" Loki raised his head, trying to see what was in Delia's hands.

She smirked before holding up the book. "One of my favorites. Perks of Being a Wallflower. Thought I might read it to you, hm?"

The idea was silly, Loki thought, but she looked so excited when she turned the first page. Her eyes lit up and her voice was so warm, flowing, connecting to every word. He had never seen one so passionate about a piece of literature, but Delia… was different from the other mortals he'd met so far.

She continued to read for thirty minutes, peaking up every so often to try and watch Loki's reaction to the book she'd kept so close to her heart. He seemed rather enthralled with the story, his eyes watching her.

"'So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.'" She read aloud.

Loki sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. "I understand Sir Charles's feelings."

Delia marked the page before closing the book slowly. "What do you mean?"

It seemed to be a bit painful for him to say what he did next, but Delia knew that this was something she could never share with Fury. This was for her ears only.

"I felt the same way around my brother… and our parents." He shook his head slightly. "There was always something… nagging at me. I never addressed it, though. They were my family. I was… I was happy with them. How can that possibly be?"

Delia knew about how Loki had been adopted by Thor's father. She'd read the whole file from beginning to end, just to make sure there were no… surprises. Her eyes not leaving his, Delia laughed. "Sounds like you're a bit like Charlie. He had something… terrible happen to him, but having to go on living a normal life."

Her gaze fell. "'Something is really wrong with me. And I don't know what it is.'"

Loki's head rose up, confusion in his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head again, pushing the question away. "It's just… a quote from the book."

Quickly, Delia stood up and grabbed her things. "I have to go. I'll… see you tomorrow, Loki…"

"Do you promise?"

She stopped in her tracks, turning back around. Her eyes had narrowed and her head was shaking. "W-what?"

"Do you promise that you will return tomorrow?" He repeated hopefully.

Her mouth partially hung open, waiting for an answer to fall out. "Yeah… Yeah, I promise."

With that, she left quickly, trying restlessly to catch her breath in the hallway.

_She was shaking in the darkness. Her arms hung tightly around him as she held onto him for dear life, as though letting go would leave her to fall into a deep hole. _

"_And you'll stay with me?" Her voice was fragile and sensitive, nearly breakable._

"_Of course." He sounded so sympathetic._

"_Promise me."_

_There was a brief silence before she heard him say, "I promise. He won't… hurt you anymore."_

She woke up in a pool of her own sweat. Delia wiped the wetness from her forehead before noticing how cold she was. The memories of him were flooding back and there was no one to keep her safe from the monsters now. Her phone on the dresser, she picked it up and tapped at his number. The ring tone seemed to go on forever.

"Hey! This is Danny. Leave me a message after the beep."

She quickly hung up, throwing the phone towards the floor before hugging her pillow. Tears were streaming down her face as she found solace in some dream world.


End file.
